Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper, who can currently be seen on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet, celebrates his birthday Nov. 8. To mark the occasion, the Playbill Vault looks back at his Broadway career.

Cooper made his Broadway debut as Brother Boxer in the musical Amen Corner, based on the play of the same name by James Baldwin. It told the story of a female Harlem pastor struggling to keep her life and her rebellious congregation together.

The production opened on Nov. 10, 1983, at the Nederlander Theatre and ran for 28 performances.

Cooper's next notable role came in the critically acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow, which stemmed from a New York City Center Encores! concert presentation. He performed the role of Bill Rawkins in a cast that included Broadway favorites Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson.

Cooper is currently appearing in the new Broadway revival of Romeo and Juliet, starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad as the young pair of ill-fated lovers. He plays Lord Capulet, patriarch of the Capulet family.

The production is scheduled to run through Dec. 8 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.